The two shores of a sea Aegean and two countries. On one hand two similar countries in their historical and cultural relations, on the other hand for many along year great differences not only in geological region but also in their international policy and diplomacy.


Turkey and Greece two different countries in their histories and origins, become  similar in some topics (contents) in the course  of time and they are based on very  sensitive equilibrium in foreign political zone which changes day by day. They try to adopt new policies  according to their identity anxiety in Europe. When we run an eye over the events between two countries, it's possible to see the same panaroma just like after the Independence War. There are great similarities in the relations and problems.

Design by Neptun Eken

For example,  the event  of the Greek Orthodox Church was arousing  the Rums who live in Turkey. From this point of view, during the Lausanne meeting , Turkish side tried to remove this mode  from Istanbul  and as a result according to Lord Curzon's proposal ,  it's forbidden to be interested in political contents to the Greek  Church .

Afterwords, in the last months of 1924, because of the deportation of Arapoglu, who was promated to the Patriarchian in Istanbul, the relations stretched again between two countries.  Greece tried to take the problem to Nations Association and La haye ,  but Turkey  claimed that  there was no authority of the international organs about  this content. (2)

Consequently , in 1925  the Patriarch receded and the problems solved. Although two countries had on aggrement  and opened embassies, the relations between Turkey and Greece didn't calm down. In 1925 Turkish Goverment  sent Mr . Cevat to Athena as the first Ambassodor , but unfortunety until 1930  ,  the relations were not so friendly .           

The reason  of that disopproved events was insufficent  agreement  about the problems. As from 1930 the relations began to develop. There were reasons ; the first one  was that the Italies alliance and amity systems and the second one and the most important one was  Atatürk's and Venizelos's point of views and exortions. (3)

Even  in this kind of situation ,  two countries relations stretched and they approched  over again.  But  Venizelos oriented his countries policys to his favour and keep his country away from a battle.  At  his speech in 1930    (February)  he mentioned  that,  "Turkey  was a peacefull country"  and he would obey the rules of the agreement .

This  speech made foreign policy of Greece softer than before. Taking this fact into account, Ankara pleased too much and in 1930 (June) the problems were solved by them and this date left a mark in histories of both countries. (4)

When we look  through the relations , we can easly  see two opposite fact, the neighbourhood  and enmity. The problems were about Aegean  territoriel water, Continental shelf ,  FIR line ,   Air Zone,  Arming  of Island and Cyprus.

Literally "The Cyprus" matter is a gangrene in the relations between Turkey and Greece and it caused a great difficulty for Turkey to mix with Europe. It's an acceptable content that Greece is one of the most important neighbour of Turkey for either the man walking on the street or for a foreign policy specialist . And some content can be acceptable  for Greece. However their point of views of both countries politics and public change day by day.

Turkey and Greece guide their policy  according to the situation of the day . It's more important to perceive  a danger not only as a harm but also  as a real danger for the parts for their individuals in international area and relations. As we see it between Turkey  and Greece,  from generation to generation , they saw each other as danger and this beliefs  insert the relations into a vicious circle.

After all , some self-seeker countries tried to use and direct these dissensions between Turkey and Greece according to their own advantage , because  they knew that there  was a great speaking and understanding problem in the relations of both countries. And this emity developed. As a result, the money spent for education ,  health and other spending  for the public are used for arming .

By the little attention ,  we can understand that the reason of this is lack of confidence , lack of dialog and enmity of both. On the Greek side , Turkey which is five  times greater population and six times larger in area makes Greece loose reliance. But this stressed policy must be not be develop with fears and wrong beliefs.

Both sides politicians  know  that  if you want  to develop and combine, you  have to find  a foreign enemy . And  this  fact  used  for an interior  matter for  policy by the Greeks, but  this problems  are always  used  for Greek Goverment  and became  an addiction.  Taking this into acconut  Turkey  saw Greece as a problem in front of entering  E.U. and saw 12 mile -- territoriel water problems as a reason for a war. (5)

We have relationship with E.U. approximately more than 40 years. After the settlement  of E.U. in 1958 , Turkey  made application to join  E.U. in 1959.

After declarition of the republic and the II World War, Turkey joined all of the political and security formations like OECD and NATO.

As a matter of fact  , Turkey  could not be indifferent to this entegration because of  the same reason ; connection with this subject to from begining to today, as they had a purpose not only in economical but also in political area in that topic.  After the earthquake in Turkey 1999 August, Greece who was always against to Turkey changed  her policy and created a new form in the relations. What was the reason for that ?

The first reason is, to form a union  between each other against USA and to solve the problems in foreign policy and internal negativenes to develop and improve on independent  defence capasity first of all E.U. has to create a strong policy.  It's more difficult then it is guessed and It's not suitable to say, there is a general aggrement  for some contents more than a general foreing policy for the E.U. Foreign policy can only come into existence with an organized nation which form a nation who can battle  for It's own political volition.

Unfortuately  E.U. is too far away from that kind of a political formation  Countries are aware of their individual advantages but they direct  their policy according to this  formation  and It seems  that the approching between Turkey and Greece is the cause  of that policy and for Turkey may be a signal to join the E.U.

Greece government improved a path in her foreign policy according to the restraint of Europe, and her own  public and by means  of this poliy the two countries, Turkey and Greece got closer. 17 August was a visible reason and the milestone of this apporacing.

However we can assume that there are lots of individual advantages and policies at back side of this approching.

Normaly , countries always designate their policies and ways according to their individuals advantages. As we clearly  see this approaching between Turkey and Greece is aresult the policies. The  changes in the world also have some effects on our relations. Three years before today , "The Kardak Crisis" and one year before today , "Abdullah Öcalan Crisis", were great  problem between Turkey and Greece.  But  foreign affairs minister of both countries Ismail Cem and Yorgo Papenderuo made lots of positive changes in the relations .

In Greece the path that Papenderuo followed, found support from the public where the church and nationalist were againts him and the approaching of the two countries give chances to work in same areas together. Tourism and the  policy at the Balkans are two simple  examples of that company.

Short time ago the relations between Turkey and Greece were in danger and Greece had a foreign affair minister Pangolos who has against to Turkey. Although these negativness a certain modification happened  and that attract attention  of the other countries.

How and why does this changing begin?

After the earthquake that happend in Turkey urgent rescue teams came to Turkey from all over the world  ever from Greece. Greece rescue team was one of the first team which arrive to Turkey in quake disaster. Greece rescue team came with their equipment  and government health officials. Thus  the approcacing began. Both countries  public governments managers understand that humanity and the aminty side of this approaching was more important than anything.

After Turkey's eartquake's happened, another earthquake happened in Greece, and Turkey helped them in the same way like they helped for us.

In the realty both countires used the bad thougths and the wrong informations in the school books , on the TV 's and also in any other printied and visiual media against each other for so long...

They growth the new generations, the youth of Turkish and Greek as enemies.  Although  they are very closed as geography they live very apart and ignorent having strange subconcious.

In the book, "Küçükasya Felaketi" which was written by the Greek historion  Niko in 1977, speaking to the Greek policies who try to introduce the Turkish people to the world as "barbarian - genociding - spreading around  rapist capturer was the following written: (6) " Anotolia rich in underground  wealth having  as strategical importance and also  the centre on the roads opening to the east was valuable for impernationalists countries for nutritions."

"The wide hatred of Greece people against Turkish people became a mad show by the praticing the Greek megalomania and the Cristian Orthodox Greekness. Greek people couldn't discriminate their own justice from the spreading injustice borders."

Sometimes some of the administrators of Greece were talking in their own language, sometimes in different. The petrol war in the middle east was considered as if it was the megalomania of Greeks. The most utility of this idea for the English colony policy were  the problems for Greece.

Briefly, Greece  with the pretex of protection of themselves, they serviced for the foreigns' fragmentation policy. N.Psiruki   declares  that the England used Greece and Venizelos according to  her self-seeking about the petroleum in that region.

Form a Greek historian's point of view the megalomania of Greece is an extension of the countries imperialist purposes rather than her own goal. Truly Greece was a drawback in front of the E.U., for us for years with the support of the other strong countries, especially Germany.

Germany used Greece to protect and prevent from Turkish youth potential who may have chance to travel across the Europe when Turkey join the E.U.,  and developing economy of Turkey.

As I mentioned from the beginnig of  this report the deficiency in the dialog between Turkey and Greece tried to be solved by some. However, the trials failed because of the unwillingness of the governments. Today our relations are not in the level of required but addition to this situation Turkey is an candidate for nomination to E.U.        

As I mentioned before the favour in the relations was a result of Europeans request because they don't want an unconsistent country in front of themselves and they dont want to come face to face with a country who has terrorists and Islamic confusion. According to this stiuation they understand that Turkey may  bruise the benefit of Europe and Greece.

When we look through the development of the events ve can easly see the media of the both sides. Media in Turkey who was the 3. strong force followed a racist attitude against Greece and never neglected headlines full of menace against Greece . Although media didn't have those type rights , still they went to Kardak and changed the flags and this would've caused a war.

Greece and Turkey have come close to war another two times in the past 26 years over territorial disputes in the Aegean and the divided island of Cyprus. However,  the normal hostility lifted dramatically last year following an outpouring of public aid and sypathy for the victims of devastating earthquakes in both countries. But it is strange that, same media changed its attitude after the earthquake (17 AUGUST) and became more positive and creative .  Also we must not forget that the tears of a member of the rescue team who rescued a girl under the ruins which was communicated to us and all over the world without prejudice.

When we look through the past, we can easly see a different mood  today . Greece sometimes tried to take some of the subjects that existed problems to La Haye. But Turkey always overlook to this stiuation. When we inspect the relations between Turkey and Greece, we may think that there are lots of problems which seem as if they can't be solved.

Even though the Cyprus problem the last incidents give some chances to the results of the problems and maybe we will have  some chance to solve  them.

Terrorism is the most important danger for Turkey and we consider Greece  as a second  danger for years. But we have to change our mind against to Greece. According to some periphery the countries have to continue this approaching with some gesture.( Removement of Aegean army ). For years Turkey has developed lots of possible war strategies and is still making. Because of the changing in the cast of the possible war strategies like 2-5 war strategy , most of the scenarios changed. For example Turkey suppose three main fronts, PKK, Syria and Greece and establish the front lines according to that.

However , Turkey nowadays has the chance of being stonger and  can show a presence with her possible partners, U.S.A. , Greece and maybe later with the participation of Israel in Middle East. Balkans is the most important  vital  fact for Turkey and Greece. Both countries have a deep connection with historical and racial in this region . The stability and peace is advantage for both of us. In this respect Turkey and Greece has to move in a common way . Tourism is the second way as a second choise to Balkans and from this point of view Turkey has a good location and rich. Starting from this point, we can develop our relations.

As we see in the last events Turkish soldiers join beach landing in Greece during NATO exercise. For decades, this was the scenario the Greek military trained to repel; Turkish amphibious forces storming the shores. Now, it's set to happen. But this time the Turkish marines are coming a shore as a part of NATO military exercise that showcases the astonishing improvement in relations between the two traditional rivals. The last time Greek and Turkish marines came this close in this region was on the brick of war in 1996 over a rocky islet in the eastern aegean sea. (7)

The standoff over Imia, known as Kardak in Turkish, nearly touched off the first conflict between two NATO allies and ended only after diplomatic intervention by the United States.

In December, Greece lifted long-standing objections to Turkey's efforts for European Union candidacy. This year's NATO military manoeuvre, named Dynamic Mix , is the first time the two are participating with land and air forces in each others' countries. Earlier this month, Turkish jet fighters landed at a Greek air base for the first time since 1972 as a part of Dynamic Mix , although military cargo planes have landed in both countries in recent years.

From a different point of view we can easily realize that Turkish and Greek relations enter new term with business people's efforts. For example at the second Turkish Aegean coasts and Greek Aegean Island economic summit business people say that relations between the two counters are entering a new phase and that there is a bright  future ahead. Speakers at the meeting say that after the visit of  Izmirian business people  to Athens last month the trade volume between the countries increased from 600 million dollars to 700 million dollars in a month. Bussiness people stated that Turkish and Greek relations have entered a new phase and are improving day by day. (8)

Consequently, It is too hard to say and guess the path of the going way of the relations between Turkey and Greece. Because the policy all around the world is ragile and hangeable. Related to this sitiuation, it is certain that there will be great  differences in the relations. But we must not forget that the rights of our country are the most important concept in our policy and lifes. As result of Turk and Greek at levels a better dialogue is the essence which leads to better understanding.

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